Page:History of the French in India.djvu/562

 530 THE LAST STRUGGLE FOR EMPIRE. chap, the force as Brigadier, with an authority superior to XIL that of all the other officers, de Soupire and Lally 1758. excepted. Taking possession of Kanchipiiram on the 27th, the army marched from there on the 29th, and reached the plain in front of Madras on December 12. The strong position of Chengalpat, which, two months before, Lally might have taken with little loss, he now, with regret, left in his rear. Retaining that, the Eng- lish had been, and were still, able to procure abun- dant supplies from the surrounding country. The English garrison of Madras consisted of 1,758 Europeans, 2,220 sipahis, and 200 horse ; there were besides within the walls 150 Europeans, who were like- wise employed in various ways in the defence. The Governor was Mr. George Pigot, afterwards Lord Pigot, a man of ability and discrimination, and who had the good sense to make over all the arrangements of the defence to the veteran Colonel Lawrence, who found himself within the walls. Under Lawrence were Lieutenant-Colonel Draper, the conqueror of Manilla,* Major Calliaud of TrichinapalK renown, Major Brereton, and other good officers. Chengalpat was garrisoned by 100 Europeans and 1,200 sipahis, commanded by an active leader, Captain Preston. It will thus be seen that in the number of Europeans — the backbone of an army in India — the French did not possess a very over- whelming advantage over the enemy that they had come to besiege. The defence was confined mainly to Fort St. George, although three fortified posts were left in the Black Town. Lally, as we have seen, reached the plain in front of Madras on the 12 th. The van of his little force was commanded by the chivalrous d'Estaing, and consisted of 300 European infantry, 300 cavalry and two guns, he himself following with the main body. On the 13th the army encamped in the plain, whilst Lally employed
 * The same who engaged in a controversy with Junius.